Early the next morning, an older female steward brought two young servants over to attend to him. Xu Ziqing was, after all, the legitimate son of the former head of the branch family. Now that he had come to the main residence, even if he held little real status, appearances still had to be maintained. Besides, he carried Xu family blood. A great clan like the Xu family had countless collateral branches, and over the years, quite a few direct-line descendants from those branches had turned out to possess the potential for an immortal path. If the servants slighted Xu Ziqing now and he was later found to have spiritual roots, crushing a few lowly servants like them would be effortless.
Xu Ziqing had grown used to taking care of himself over the years, but in his previous life he had always been waited on. So when the young servants came to dress him and tie his socks, he remained perfectly composed, showing no awkwardness at all. Seeing how at ease he was, the servants dared even less to look down on him. They respectfully helped him wash and groom himself before bowing their heads and withdrawing.
The older female steward said, “The Master has prepared breakfast in the front hall and asks Young Master Ziqing to join him.”
Xu Ziqing smiled gently. “Then I’ll trouble you to lead the way.”
A round table had been set in the front hall. Naturally, Xu Mengqian occupied the seat of honor. His legitimate and concubine-born sons sat below him, while the young men who had come from collateral branches of the branch family sat at another square table.
Xu Ziqing’s seat was after the last of the legitimate sons but before the concubine-born sons, which was appropriate enough. Keeping to his usual low profile, he listened to Xu Mengqian say a few words, then lowered his head and ate without speaking to anyone else. He was an unfamiliar face, but someone had probably explained his identity to his cousins long ago, so no one took the initiative to approach him.
The table was not entirely quiet. Since they were all headed to the main family, anyone hoping for an easier time there would naturally want a few allies, both to establish a foothold and to have some say once they arrived. Thus, the legitimate sons and daughters seated to Xu Ziqing’s left politely sounded one another out, while the concubine-born sons and daughters on his right also conversed, though their manners were somewhat less refined.
The meal proceeded in a lively atmosphere. Near the end, Xu Mengqian gave a soft cough. Everyone put down their chopsticks and turned toward him. It was time to hear his instructions on how they should conduct themselves in the main family.
As expected, Xu Mengqian began, “All of you are the foundation of our Xu family. Three days from now, once everyone has arrived, you will enter the main family and have your spiritual roots examined. Anyone found to possess an immortal destiny will remain there, with countless spiritual herbs and medicines, immortal arts, and formations at your disposal.” His voice deepened. “If your immortal destiny proves exceptional, immortals may even descend from the upper realm. Should an immortal take notice of you and bring you to the upper realm, you may gain boundless longevity and perhaps even attain immortality or sagehood. Every one of you has a chance at such fortune. Do not get yourselves into trouble and lose something great over something small, only to let someone else reap the benefit!”
At those words, everyone brightened and sat a little straighter.
Xu Mengqian stroked the long beard beneath his chin and nodded slightly. “Remember this well. The main family has strict rules. Those of you fortunate enough to remain there must conduct yourselves cautiously and never come into conflict with the young masters and young ladies of the main family. Otherwise, even I will not be able to save you.”
Most of this was directed at his own children. Those from the branch family’s more distant collateral lines might also be called “Young Master” or “Young Lady” at home, but they were less proud. After coming here, they had behaved sensibly enough, and once they reached the main family, they were even less likely to provoke anyone casually. His own children were different. Although they had been taught the rules, years of being treated with deference by servants meant that they would inevitably have trouble adjusting. Some were hot-tempered, others impulsive. If they carelessly caused trouble in the main family, Xu Mengqian would be too far away to help. Besides, there were at least a hundred branch-family lines on equal footing with Xu Mengqian’s own. Once they entered the main family, his branch truly amounted to very little.
After thinking for a moment, Xu Mengqian continued, “Once you reach the main family, forget that you are young masters or young ladies. Show proper respect to the high-ranking members of the main family, and do not offend even the favored stewards or maids. Most of them were once people thought to possess an immortal destiny. Their status may not compare with the main family’s high-ranking members, but it is far above yours. I have also prepared several servants who understand the main family’s rules and ways of doing things. If any of you are fortunate enough to be accepted as a disciple by an elder or the family head, I will assign those servants to you, lest you make some mistake and waste your natural talent.”
As for those who possessed spiritual roots but only a meager immortal destiny, they would naturally have to make their own way in the main family.
He then mentioned several names, explained a number of important points, and even told them about a few people in the main family who had ties with their branch.
Xu Ziqing listened silently from below and tried to commit everything to memory. He had no idea whether a spiritual root was actually growing inside his head, but if by some chance he was made to stay and had failed to listen to any of this, he would be the only one to suffer for it.
The lecture lasted a full two hours. Servants brought tea, and only after everyone had drunk did they return to their respective courtyards. Those with ambitions of their own naturally went off to continue cultivating the “friendships” they had begun at the breakfast table.
Xu Ziqing returned to his own courtyard as well. It was only a small courtyard, one of who knew how many within the vast residence, but because he was the former branch head’s legitimate son, he had been allotted one to himself. The boys and girls who had come from more distant collateral branches shared courtyards instead, with separate rooms assigned to each of them.
A small flower bed enclosed by a fence occupied one corner of the courtyard. Several orchids and banana plants grew inside it, their broad, fan-like leaves drooping down to create a pocket of quiet shade. It was rather elegant. Beneath the banana leaves stood a bamboo chair, a footstool, and a tall-legged round table.
Xu Ziqing was suddenly tempted. He walked over and sat in the chair, stretched out his legs, and rested his feet on the stool. Half closing his eyes, he enjoyed the shade while resting his mind. It might have been spring, but as noon approached, the sun was still a little too hot.
A young servant approached quietly and asked in a low voice, “Young Master Ziqing, would you like this servant to bring you a pot of tea?”
Xu Ziqing smiled at him. “Thank you.”
The servant hurriedly replied, “This servant wouldn’t dare accept your thanks.” He bowed and withdrew. Before long, footsteps sounded again, and a cup of tea was poured and placed beside Xu Ziqing.
Xu Ziqing took a sip. The fragrance truly lingered on his lips and teeth. Seeing the servant standing to one side with the teapot, not daring to leave, he waved a hand and said, “Leave the pot. You may go. There’s no need to attend to me.”
The servant set the teapot on the round table and quietly withdrew.
Only then did Xu Ziqing let out a breath. He had no desire to have someone standing nearby watching him while he rested.
After another couple of sips of tea, Xu Ziqing suddenly felt as though something around his neck were tightening like a rope. He quickly turned to one side and reached beneath his collar, pulling out a pitch-black object.
Its color was dull. Some unknown elongated creature held its own tail in its mouth, forming a ring. Its head was slightly raised, and beneath the horns on its crown was a hidden pearl.
The object was terribly worn, though surprisingly heavy. Xu Ziqing recognized the creature biting its own tail as a dragon. At first glance it looked unimpressive, but on closer inspection it was remarkably imposing.
Xu Ziqing had originally found it outdoors when it dug into him while he was sleeping. Later, he thought its design looked ancient, and since the dragon had also been the totem of the country from his previous life, he kept it. He threaded it on a sturdy cord and wore it beneath his clothes as a small reminder of home.
After playing with it for a while, Xu Ziqing tucked it safely back beneath his clothes and resumed his leisurely rest.
Just as his eyelids were beginning to grow heavy, footsteps suddenly passed outside the gate amid a burst of noisy voices, instantly waking him.
He heard someone say, “Who lives in here that they get an entire courtyard to themselves?”
Someone else immediately chimed in, “Exactly, Sister Zishu. We’ve already paid our respects to all the older brothers and sisters here. Who is this?”
Then came a delicate voice tinged with arrogance. “Whoever lives here certainly isn’t one of my brothers or sisters.”
Someone asked curiously, “Then who is it?”
Xu Zishu gave a snort. “When my eldest uncle died, he left behind this one son. He used to live out on the estate. My father is kindhearted, so now that we’re going to the main family, he specially had him brought here and even gave him such a nice courtyard all to himself!”
At that, the others hurried to flatter her. “Master Xu is truly generous and kindhearted, unlike ordinary people!”
“Exactly! Master Xu is compassionate enough to look after his elder brother’s son!”
Someone went even further. “If that’s the case, then the guest living inside ought to be endlessly grateful!”
Another person scoffed. “His temperament must be awful. He’s received such a great kindness, yet he hasn’t even come out to visit the legitimate-line older brothers and sisters and offer his thanks!”
Their voices were not quiet, and Xu Ziqing heard every word clearly. His brows furrowed at first, then relaxed again.
At the breakfast table, Xu Ziqing had thought that the Xu family was indeed worthy of being a great clan. Even this branch family seemed to have raised its children with proper manners. Apparently, that was only how they behaved in front of Xu Mengqian. In private, their gossip was no different from that of servants who loved wagging their tongues.
In an ordinary household, if the legitimate eldest son died leaving behind a legitimate eldest grandson, the family estate should naturally pass to that grandson. Xu Ziqing was precisely that legitimate eldest grandson. He had simply been too young at the time to manage the household, allowing Xu Mengqian, the legitimate second son, to benefit from the situation. In a family where the immortal path was real, Xu Mengqian naturally could not simply kill off a direct-line descendant, and raising Xu Ziqing to adulthood was only what he ought to have done. There was no question of Xu Ziqing owing him some great debt of gratitude. Xu Ziqing bore Xu Mengqian no ill will and was grateful that his uncle had, at least, treated him decently. But to expect Xu Ziqing to be endlessly grateful to him made no sense whatsoever.
Their words were certainly excessive, but that was all they were. Xu Mengqian had not truly done anything wrong by taking over the branch family, and he had properly supported Xu Ziqing until he grew up. His children were merely running their mouths behind his back. Xu Ziqing had already lived two lives; was he really going to go out of his way to quarrel with them over that? Still, people with temperaments like theirs would inevitably cause trouble once they could no longer hold themselves back. He would do well to keep his distance from them in the future.
Xu Ziqing made no sound from inside. Perhaps the people outside also found it boring. After saying their piece as they passed, their footsteps gradually faded away. Xu Ziqing yawned and simply settled down for a nap.